


Marko's Lament

by jujuDCEU



Series: The Epoch of an Anomaly [2]
Category: DCU (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Gun Violence, Multi, Needles, Night Terrors, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Racist Language, Recovery, Self-Harm, Therapy, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-01-30 09:17:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21425845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jujuDCEU/pseuds/jujuDCEU
Summary: Marko falls into a world of addiction after life gets just a little too hard. If it's not one thing, it's another, and he can't take it. He relapses into his vices. The people he was once close to can no longer tolerate him. He doesn't understand his actions really do affect his loved ones. Will he be able to get the help he needs?Also I seriously suggest that you read the last couple chapters of the first work in this series so you're familiar with the names and stuff, because I don't plan on reiterating everybody's bio who's involved.
Relationships: Bart Allen/Original Male Character(s)
Series: The Epoch of an Anomaly [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1544590
Kudos: 5





	1. Spiral

Marko sat in the guest room of his mother's small Philadelphia apartment. His back was to the door as his head was on his knees. He gripped his sandy blonde hair at the roots. The poor teen began to rock back and forth, sweat forming under his arms and neck. He lifted his heavy head up and took off his blue framed glasses then tossed them on the bed. Standing up proved to be a trial. Marko felt as if he weighed half a ton. He needed to feel light like a leaf, but he reminded himself of his promise he made to himself and his mother in his point of time. Linty, black socks scraped the floor as Marko’s feet dragged while he paced. He flopped onto the cotton sheets. He reached between the mattress and the box spring and pulled out his bag of marijuana. His shaky hands reached into his pocket and pulled out his mint green lighter, all dented up from his escapades with his friends.   
His gang meant the world to him ever since he met them. They were all more than just a bunch of hoodlums; they were family.   
Marko found some rolling paper and situated himself a fat blunt. His first inhale was deep and slow. His attempt to steady his breathing and calm down was in vain. He ran through his blunt quickly, hot boxing, taking speedy hits. It went straight through his system like water. He made one after another after another until he was stark out of product. He cursed at himself for being so careless. And damn, was he angry at himself. The young man threw his lighter at out the now opened window. He soon flew down and got it from the ground and shoved it back into his pocket. His legs felt heavy all over again. His pinkies had that sting in them as his chest sank.   
Just as he planned on going back through his window, Marko’s phone vibrated. He sighed as he weakly snaked his hand into his butt pocket as he stared blankly in front of him. His eyes didn’t move as he placed his phone directly in front of his vision. He read the message in his head. His eyeballs began to twitch as he reread the message over and over, not believing it to be true. He let out an ailing cry. He sank to his knees and pounded the earth, phone in hand. His sobs and sniffles were inaudible as he did the most he could to suppress the noise.   
It was bound to happen. He should have intervened. But Marko was a spineless coward. The last thing he saw before he had bolted away was the dark steel.  
Marko was shaking his head with hands on either side. His breathing became panicked. He didn’t know what to do or where to go. He began pacing again, but more frantically. His heaviness was replaced by lightness, only weighed by a sense of urgency. He had no one to go to, and though he was home, he reminded himself he still had nowhere to go. His wet eyelashes made his eyes dry as the wind blew in a brief, heavy gust.   
His head started spinning with the ground under him. His throat was suspiciously dry, and so was his mouth quickly after. Sweat began forming again to the point where his elbow and knee creases became slick. He sat on the stoop and attempted to recollect the events. His head was unsteady and it rocked back and forth, almost moving his whole upper body along with it. 

Marko woke up in the same place he last recalled being. It was only a few hours later. He found it to be strange that he didn’t end up inside or shaken awake by his mother. He stroked his own face and then his hair. His stomach felt empty and so did his chest. He stood up quickly, arousing a terrible migraine as the floor spun under him hastily.   
He tried the doorknob before knocking and it was unlocked. Maybe his mom did see him. No, she would’ve brought him inside. Or maybe he was the one who left it unlocked. Wouldn’t be the only careless thing he’d done that day.   
Marko first entered the kitchen and had a glass of water. He saw his hand still shaking slightly, and set the tall cup on the counter. It wasn’t anywhere near enough; his lips were literally peeling off and falling on his shirt like dandruff. But the water woke his stomach up and it began making noises. Food was the second thing on his mind when he was gripping the counter. He groaned defeatedly. His blinks felt like they were in slow motion. He took his water up to his room, spilling some on his way.   
Once in his room, Marko reached between his mattress and box spring and found nothing. His frustration was immeasurable. How could he have been so damn careless? Out of anger, he threw his ready lighter out of his open window and slammed it shut. He sat on the edge of his bed and contemplated what his next move was.   
He put on some slides and headed out the door and collected his lighter on the way. 

The next bus didn’t come for another half hour so Marko sucked his braced up teeth. After looking over his shoulders, he teleported to the nearest traphouse.   
The scent of black and milds wafted into Marko’s nose. There was someone passed out in the corner, barely breathing. Someone else was doubled over trying to keep their balance.   
Marko was approached by a taller dark skinned man who came up behind him. The grip on his shoulder was a strong one. Marko turned around unenthusiastically, ready to get this encounter done and over with.  
“Who the hell is you, kid?” the almost purple man asked with a scowl on his face. He had a deep scar across his chin. Marko’s gaze was drawn directly to. “And the fuck is you staring at?”  
Marko shrugged the man’s hand off of him aggressively and took one step back. “I’m just here for some stuff, man..” he replied simply.  
“This isn’t some public crackhouse anyone can just come into, nigga, and I ain’t never seen you here before.”  
“Dude, I’m just gonna get my stuff and I’ll be out of here.” Marko tried to walk past him but the man shoved him back. Marko had a sudden surge of his migraine again and closed his eyes tightly as he rode it out. He groaned as it simmered away.   
Marko shoved the man back and headed upstairs. There was another man, much taller than the first man, loitering on the top step. He put up his leg so Marko wouldn’t pass him.  
“Ain’t nothing past this point, sir.” He looked at Marko with his enlarged pupils. You could barely see his hazel irises. “Unless you wanna end up like the nigga downstairs.”  
“Do you have anything?” Marko leaned forward. “Whatever you have, just name it. I’m desperate. I just finished off my stash and I have nothing else, not even a loosie. And dude, I just had the worst trip in my entire life and I feel nothing but at the same timeI feel everything and I just wanna be numb and I just can’t function right now and--”  
“Yo, yo, yo, you need to chill out. I’m not here for your life story. Just tell me what you need.”  
“Oh my God, I just asked what do you have?”  
“Name it.”   
“Bro! How am I supposed to know what I want without knowing what you have? You’re stressing me. You are stressssssing ME.”  
“Tuh. I know what your ass needs, you uppity Spic.” the hazel-eyed male went in his hoodie and pulled out a medium-sized bag of cocaine.   
“I need more than that. Literally empty your stash on me, I can pay.”   
“You tryna kill yourself? If you are, I’m not going to sell to you.”  
“I just need to FEEL!” Marko grabbed the man and lifted him by his hoodie. “You get your money, and I get to feel again. Just give me what you have.” Marko pulled out a wad of cash from his sock. “You literally don’t understand what I’m going through and you’re not in the place to deny me. So just take this, and give me what I can get with it. And then, I’ll be home in my room, minding my own business.”  
The man glared at him and pushed Marko down a stair before he could catch himself on the banister. Marko was losing his patience.   
“No, no, no. I don’t care anymore. Fuck you.” Marko snatched the hoodie right off the man and teleported back home into his room.   
He was tired of explaining himself. He was panting from the sudden rush. So much adrenaline ran through him. What if he saw him again on the street? Marko began shivering, not from fear, but from anticipation to start on his new stash. Marko teleported back and put a cold hand on the man’s mouth and froze his tongue and lips, and then his hands. And he stole the pants right off the man’s ass. Then he ran past him upstairs and raided every room he could before the man ran up behind him. Marko jumped from the window and started running down the block. The man’s muffled yells were the only noise besides the flip-flopping of Marko’s slides.   
Marko opened a portal underneath him and went home. Marko dumped a whole bag of coke on his bed and snorted it right off the blanket. He ran his nose back and forth down the pile. Zing after zing of migraine, his vision became blurry and the floor started spinning faster and faster and faster. Marko was dizzy he gripped his sheets tightly trying to hold on as the floor opened up under him and was sucking him in. His head hurt so badly; one eye couldn’t even open. He let go of his sheets to apply some pressure on his head to relieve some pain. Being forgetful of his situation, he was sucked into the hole in the ground. He felt like he had been falling forever. He finally hit the ground flat on his back with a hard and loud thud.   
Mar’eyna opened the door swiftly. She saw her son on the floor and his bed completely unmade. He was mumbling to himself about something and seemed panicked about it as he held his head. She was startled when he started to scream. He shut up after a few seconds and his hands went limp and fell to his sides. She was fully aware of his drug usage and permitted it. Still, seeing him on the floor not moving made her panic each time. She pulled him into bed and took a blanket off of the loveseat in the room and used it to tuck him in. His nose twitched while he was unconscious. She stayed by his side the whole time until she felt herself get sleepy. Mar’eyna kissed him on his forehead and decided to clean up a bit. She was weakened by the empathy for her son. She had watched the news. Mar’eyna picked up the bag of dumped coke and saw it still had some in it. Marko shot up from laying on his back and snatched the bag from her hand. She snatched it right back and gave him a dirty look. He snatched it back and gave her a dirtier one.   
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Mar’eyna took it back from him for the final time. “You think you can just do this everytime your life gets screwed up?”  
“Yes. I do. And you definitely aren’t going to be the oh so saintly voice of reason. And I don’t need one. Not now, or ever. So just leave me the fuck alone and let me cope. You literally don’t get it, like actually. What you need to do is just back off.” One of his eyes were half open as he pointed two fingers right in her face. Mar’eyna smacked his hand away from her. Marko was back on his back as he looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. His sigh sounded like a hum. A single tear fell from his eye and rolled into his ear. Mar’eyna looked at him pitifully. She stroked his hair and brought him in a hug into her chest. He didn’t return the hug, not because he didn’t want to, but because he was weak. The tears kept coming, but he was silent. Mar’eyna rocked him slightly until he fell asleep for the night. She kissed him again before putting his parephernalia into his dark green duffle bag in his closet. She confiscated the needles that were obviously used. She put the unfamiliar hoodie and pants in his half full hamper.


	2. Spiral 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marko wakes up and faces the consequences of his actions.
> 
> This is Part 2 of 3 of the Spiral Chapter. Things get less druggy and more happy after these parts.

Marko woke up with the sun beaming into his room. He exaggeratedly stretched his back and arms and let out a high pitched, satisfied moan. His body was a tiny bit sore from oversleeping, but his migraine was long gone. He sweat through his shirt so he peeled it off of his still wet skin. When his arms lifted up, the teenage must drowned the room.   
His cracked cell phone clad in a light purple case was buzzing. It was his best friend in the whole world, Bart. It must’ve been important, Bart was never up before him.   
He slid his finger to unlock and decline the call.   
He got up and decided to wash some stench off of him. God, did he fucking reek. And his hair was all dirty like it hadn’t been washed in months. Granted, Marko hadn’t really been taking care of himself the way he should’ve been. Maybe he brushed his teeth like three days ago. That was only because his teeth hurt from his tightened braces. Excuses, excuses.   
When he saw himself in the mirror, he couldn’t believe it was him. His nose was powdery and his skin was peeling around the nostrils. He hadn’t been in the bathroom for almost a week, not even to use the bathroom. He recalled a few days ago when he got so high that he just look a long, dark, dehydrated piss in the backyard like a housebroken dog.   
The shower water was cold from his mother’s steamy bath before him. Conveniently, the icy water was exactly what he needed. It fully woke him up. He had forgotten to take out his earrings and his ponytail before stepping in. He let his growing hair down but left his piercings in. Who cares if they turn him green?  
Marko scrubbed himself as thoroughly as he could. He used his nails to scratch his face of dirt. Under his nails were caked in black now. He allowed his hair to get wet, but didn’t bother washing it. Breakfast was on his mind. Was his mom mad at him enough to not prepare anything? Marko didn’t smell anything cooking. Luckily, he was in the mood for something like a plain toasted bagel, cut in half, one half with grape jelly and the other with cream cheese. His stomach growled. Did he even eat last night? It didn’t feel like it. Marko turned the water off and grabbed his rough, purple towel and wrapped it around his waist. His upper body and hair were wet still when he started getting dressed. He laid out a Nike black sweatsuit with a random basic tee underneath. As he walked to the kitchen, he felt that he didn’t have underwear on. Too much energy would be wasted in taking off his pants and finding a nice pair of boxers to sag with. He scratched his flaky scalp. He tested out if his hair was long enough for a top knot.   
Almost...almost. Three more months.   
Marko made his bagel to his liking. Mar’eyna came into the kitchen right after he set the knife in the sink. She flashed her teeth at him with a smile. He wasn’t as confident in his smile ever since he got his braces. He just gave her a thumbs up.   
“Can I go out?” Marko owned up and spoke.  
Mar’eyna took a sip of her juice before responding. “Eh, where?”  
“I don’t know yet.” he lied.   
Mar’eyna slipped past him to get into the fridge. She squatted to get some beef sausages and the pack of frozen home fries she was thawing out. “Do you really wanna go out after what happened with your friends last night? I don’t think that’s very smart.” Mar’eyna got up and closed the fridge to see her son quivering and hugging himself. She stared at him as he started mouthing words. In a way, it made her feel accomplished to see him so scared and trembling. Maybe he had learned something about sneaking out and hanging with the ghetto low-lifes he called his friends in the wrong neighbourhood.   
“No, no, no…” Marko mumbled audibly. “Mommy, this was my fault. It was my fault. It was my fault. Mommy, this was all my fault.” Marko gripped his hoodie as his eyes started jumping around the kitchen. “Yes, this was my fault, it was all my fault.” he echoed. He felt spikes of heat on his thighs and neck. “Oh my God!” he screamed. “My god!” his screams became shrieks. Just when he thought some sleep had set him straight, all of yesterday’s events played through his mind and it frightened him.   
Mar’eyna grabbed him and shook him. “Baby, no! It’s okay! It’s okay! You can go out, I’m sorry.” Mar’eyna tried to look at him in his face but he was thrashing his head away from her. “Marko, please, stop!”  
“I’m sorry!” Marko’s hands gripped his mother’s shoulders as he shouted in her mitt. He pushed her back, still using her as support. He was panting like he had just finished a marathon. Marko’s stomach gurgled. He felt like the acid in his stomach was coming up his throat. 

Mar’eyna held her son’s hair as her was hunched over the toilet. He hadn’t thrown up yet, but it was a precaution. The next gurgle of his stomach had his head in the bowl. Most of the waste was just water, it looked like, besides the obvious chunks of bagel and jelly. Mar’eyna rubbed his back, encouraging him to get out what he could before he gets up. She shook her head in disbelief. Her poor baby. Probably--no--obviously scarred from what he witnessed. No, the problem was what he never got to witness.   
“I’m sorry.” Marko said in a worn out tone. “For everything.” Mar’eyna kept rubbing his back. He hurled again, but not much came up. His stomach was caved in from the complete lack of contents. Marko got off his knees and stood up, wobbling briefly before finding his own balance.   
“Why did it have to be this way?” Marko said for only him to hear. Mar’eyna was rewinding about what she saw on the news and was just happy that her son was quick enough. “I can’t go on like this.”  
Mar’eyna felt like she got shot through the chest. Her heart dropped hearing those words. Her young adult mind couldn’t figure out what to do or how to help. She felt like the world’s most terrible mother.  
“I have to do better for them.”   
“Do better for yourself first.”  
Marko dragged his heavy feet out of the bathroom back to his room and laid back down. He fell back to a sound sleep for the rest of the day.   
Marko had a vivid dream. There was a white girl with the brightest blue eyes he’d ever seen. Her skin was soft and flawless when he stroked it. Her hair was light blonde and it was brushed out from frizzy curls. She kept saying Marko’s name over and over again. Her painted nails matched her dark red dress. She was caressing Marko’s bare chest. Her fingertips shocked him slightly. She leaned in close and told him and traced the letters C-L-E-A-R on the palm of his hand. Marko caressed her hair as she slowly backed away from him. She enticed him to follow her and he obliged. It was only then that he realised he was off the ground. When he looked down, all he saw was white space. But the girl coached him as he took step after step over the space. She was mouthing words he couldn’t decipher, but the pattern was redundant, and he concluded that she must’ve been saying the same thing over and over. Marko reached for his own lips and felt they were moving. He was numb and not in control, and he wasn’t making any noise. Marko doubted himself, and felt heavier. He looked down again, and even though there was nothing, he felt like something was approaching him, fast. He looked into her ocean eyes. She grabbed his face and forced him to look to the left of him. Again, nothing. But there was a tiny sensation on his legs and shoulders. It felt like pricks. The sensation grew less faint and more numerous in places. Marko started to feel pain. He applied pressure where he could, but he only has two hands. The creases on his elbows stung the most. Dinky red dots started to appear all over him. Marko was aghast seeing himself form bruises with his own eyes. Marko closed his eyes tightly. Now he knew he was definitely falling, but ever so gracefully. He felt blissful with the calm path down. He exhaled delightedly. 

Marko woke up the next day to the birds’ songs. His brown eyes fluttered open. He felt like actually being productive. He got out of bed with a good attitude and intentions to seize the day. He washed his hair, brushed his teeth, and shaved his darker facial hair. He had a mean unibrow coming in. Marko stood in the mirror over the sink and really analysed himself. He’d date himself if he could. He had nice features, all bequested from his father: his cupid’s bow, nice and thick eyebrows, a strong jaw, light brown hooded eyes...spitting image.  
He dropped his towel in front of the full body mirror on the door. Nothing to write home about, but he was more than cocksure with his entire physical appearance. He recalled when he had pink hair.   
That was a look.   
Marko thought about dying his tips blue like he had when he first came to the past. He had some money left after not having to spend it on drugs. Maybe he could get it done professionally. 

Marko got dressed in a pair of worn out jeans and a white shirt that was meant to be an undershirt.   
It was still early in the morning. Perhaps his mom was up and starting her day too. And he knew his dad wasn’t going to be up for another two hours or so. He went on his phone and didn’t see much buzz besides the concerned pals and a single, very long message from his grandfather. The word must’ve gotten around the family about his last trip. He felt a tad bit ashamed for causing so much worry. He twiddled his index fingers. Now wouldn’t be the best time to respond to everyone, he’d see everyone soon.   
Marko went into his closet again and took his duffle bag out. He saw for the first time everything he had stolen. It was mostly just more cocaine and weed. There were large pills that were cut in halves, and some had gotten crushed up and left the bag a little powdery. Marko decided to spark up a humble blunt, and just one. He rolled a thin one, holding it between his lips as he walked to the kitchen. He lit the stove and put his face dangerously close to light it, then shut it off. To avoid a possible scolding, he took himself outside to the fire escape and enjoyed it, and his own company. The smoke blew eastward with the wind right back into his face.  
On his way back into the apartment, he passed Jaime in the kitchen. Marko couldn’t look at him. He opened the china cupboard just to avoid his gaze and pulled a plate out to make it seem like he was really doing something. Jaime waited patiently for his son to cut the act.  
“Good morning.” Marko finally said after their eyes met.   
“Good morning.” Jaime replied. “How did you sleep?”  
“I don’t remember. You?”  
“I was up most of the night thinking about you.” Jaime peeled open a banana and talked as he chewed, a habit that Marko himself was guilty of having. “Me and your mom took shifts watching over you last night until we got tired, which was like five hours ago.”   
“Sorry.” Marko apologized quietly.  
“You were smiling really hard in your sleep, so I assumed you were having a good dream and was gonna call it a night. But then you started sweating and tossing and whimpering. And I tried you shake you awake but you wouldn’t budge.”   
“Yeah.”   
“Wanna talk about it?”  
“I mean, I don’t remember much of it. I was with this girl and she was leading me somewhere, but I couldn’t hear her or myself.”  
Jaime hummed. “What do you think it means?”   
Marko took a second to think. What did it even mean? It could’ve just been a meaningless dream. But it felt symbolic in a way. “I think it’s a warning.” Marko admitted, half-intending to satisfy what his dad was trying to insinuate. “Maybe the girl was an angel and I died.” Marko recalled the part where he felt like he had gotten pricked a thousand times and was black and blue all over. It sent a shiver down his spine.   
“I’m not gonna beat around the bush, Marko.” Jaime tossed the peel into the trash. He really wolfed that’s banana down. “I’m not allowing any drugs in this house from now on. Not yours, not your mom’s, and that includes cigarettes. I didn’t move back into this neighborhood with you guys from the safe burbs for this shit. You’re going to ruin your life.”   
Marko wanted to cuss him out so badly. He only used drugs in his time because he couldn’t function knowing his father was on-mode. It was his only escape. So it’s really his fault that he’s a user. Fuck him, he has no right to tell him about what his life will amount to. He wasn’t innocent either. Marko had an edible with him on at least three occasions, and he had asked him for a smoke not to long ago. He’s an e-smoker too. Maybe Marko’s usage was predestined due to his parents, not from the stress of Reach rule.   
“I understand that you think you’re immune to all the negatives about your vices, but you’re not. You,” Jaime pressed his index and middle finger into Marko’s chest. “Are half of me. That makes you a human. And we are subject to addiction, and overdosing, and hurting those we love. I don’t think you get that.”   
Marko was getting irritated and his high made him impatient.   
“It’s only a matter of time before your body decides not to tolerate the amount you use and give out on you. Do you think we like coming home to see our son on the floor not moving or breathing? You understand how much that shit hurts us, right? Just because you’re blessed enough to jump back up each time, it doesn’t affect us less and less.” Jaime sighed and pushed his hair back, only for its silkiness to make it fall back to where it was. “I love you Marko. Am I asking you for too much to just hand it over?”  
“Fuck you! Are you kidding me? Yes! Yes, that would be asking for way too much. I can’t just go cold turkey, ese. You’re not a therapist, or a doctor for that matter, so just, like, fall back. You don’t know shit. I think I might spark up again just for the fuck of it. God damn it. I hate this house.” Marko stormed into his room and back out with a small bag. He opened the front door and was about to head out. Jaime watched from the kitchen as his son felt around in his pockets for his phone.   
“Shut up.” Marko spoke. “And whatever you end up finding when you got through my stuff when I’m gone, you can shove it up your butt and keep it there.”   
Jaime pursed his lips at the raw defiance of that damn kid. He didn’t have much control over him, not even Mar’eyna did. But he was gonna learn today when he got back home and find his belongings raided through. 

Marko teleported to the Garrick’s front porch and knocked. Joan answered the door and greeted him with a hug. Marko wondered if she had heard about what he did to himself. She didn’t seem like she’d ask too many questions though, just offer a shoulder. Marko liked that about her.   
The teen went upstairs to see Bart still in bed, snoring and in an obnoxious position. Marko swung Bart’s legs to one side and laid down next to him. The weed made him a smidge drowsy. He got comfy and caught some more Z’s while he had the chance.


	3. Spiral 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marko experiments in more ways than one

Marko woke up to Bart looking straight at him with those ginormous bug-eyes. Marko furrowed his brows at the curious brunette.   
“What the fuck are you looking at?” Marko asked as he flinched to play-poke him in the eye.   
“Something ugly.” Bart smiled coyly before rolling onto his stomach. “When did you get here?”  
“I don’t remember. I fell asleep after I got up here. You don’t mind me barging in though, right? I would’ve texted but I knew you’d be asleep.”  
“I never mind, you’re my hermano. But I hate when people wear their shoes on my bed. That’s my main pet peeve and yet you seem to always provoke me.”   
“Yeah, I provoke a lot of people lately.”  
Bart noticed the tired, solemn gaze of his friend. He pat Marko’s head. Marko patted his back. Marko sat himself up on his elbow and rested his head on his fist. Bart mirrored his movement and twirled a loose piece of the taller boy’s hair.   
“Parents making you feel the mode? Same. Well, not my parents, but you know. They want me to keep going to therapy even though I don’t need it or want it. My shrink doesn’t do anything for me. I’ve been skipping my sessions and I feel completely crash. I don’t know why they bother wasting time. Each time I go, it just reminds me of times that I don’t like to remember.”  
“Do you go to like, an actual therapist? Or Black Canary?” Marko asked.  
“Black Canary. I couldn’t imagine them continuing to spend money on a therapist that I just bail on half the time. I just don’t get it.” Bart flopped on his back, one arm hanging off the bed with a leg and one on Marko’s face. “The future is changed now, we were there when it happened. So why do I have to keep on revisiting those bad moments? The last time I went, we ended up spending the whole hour talking about when I had gotten beaten half to death over some steel, even though I had scavenger’s rights. You remember, it was right after you got your tattoos.”  
Marko recalled that day. He was so excited to show Bart his Atlantean tattoos. But when he got to their hideout, Bart was bleeding heavily and it was dripping down his forehead onto his army green parka. Marko remembered it being very, very cold that day, as even he was clad in a coat. Marko had to strip on that biting day and use his socks and shirt to stop the bleeding, all of which got so drenched, they were wrang more than once as Bart healed himself as fast as he could. For Bart, that day was just like any other. He was scavenging for scrap metal so he could rebuild his time machine for two. Three other people had their eyes on the discarded material. Since Bart looked so vulnerable, all thin and small, he got jumped over it. He was resistant though, which led to the thugs using more blunt force. He ended up getting struck in the head with a dense rock and then said steel, and the final blow before he blacked out was to his face; he had gotten a lighter rock by comparison right to his temple. When he woke up, he didn’t know how much time had passed because the sky was always so dark. But he staggered his way to his and Marko’s hideout in one of the more abandoned ghettos in Central City, even though Marko lived in Texas and he lived in Gotham at the time, they agreed that Central City was the halfway point for both of them.  
“Like what makes her think I want to discuss that kind of stuff? I’m better off focusing on the present.”  
“Period.”  
“But what about you? I started to ramble.”   
Marko took the floor and began explaining why on God’s blue earth he was in Bart’s house and in his bed.   
“My parents are being pricks about my usage.” Marko explained. “Like they think I just do it for fun, but it’s deeper than that. And by the time I go home, I know it’s all gonna be gone. I don’t know what I’m going to do, I literally neeeeed them. Now I’m being forced to cold turkey and who in the fresh hell knows how it’s gonna affect me. It’s been like a day and I’m already feeling the mode. That’s another reason I came here, I need like half your stash.”  
“Half is like, half of my shit, Ko. And I don’t get out to get some as often as you. Just go buy more.”  
Marko groaned loudly and put his face in Bart’s pillow.   
“I can’t…” Marko’s muffled voice let out. “And don’t ask why, I just can’t.” Marko’s day was tarnished after thinking about his plug. It made him think about that night. It sent a shiver down his spine. Now his mind was set on the events that he tried so hard to numb himself from. He whimpered quietly into the pillow. The brunette was abashed by the sudden change of atmosphere. It fell heavy on his shoulders as his older friend sank deeper into the bed and pillow. Bart only reacted when he saw Marko’s back quivering with the rest of him. Bart covered the both of them with the blanket and cuddled up to him. As he got closer, he could hear him grinding his teeth, something he hadn’t heard him do since they were in their time. It may have been one of his worst habits besides the drugs. It showed that he was worried or scared over something, and didn’t know how to face it. It got louder and louder as his body shook more. The din was followed by light sobs. Bart hugged him. Marko looked up his friend with his welled-up eyes. His tears fell on Bart’s navy blue pillow case. It was already wet from when he head his head down and was crying.   
“I’m fine.” Marko reassured himself. “It’s all good, I’ll find someone else. Or, even better, my dad doesn’t find everything.” He went on his back. “It is all Gucci.” he wiped his eyes with his forearm before getting up. Deep down, his mind was still recollecting that night and piecing it all together to form the right memory. Marko didn’t want that. And he didn’t have much time before he remembered all the fuzzy parts and had to live with his every action. He needed to forget, and quick. “I gotta go.”  
“You can have some if it’s that serious.” Bart offered.  
“No, no, at this point I need a lot more than what you can give me. If I’m fast enough, I can get back home before my dad tosses my shit, and if I’m too late, I’ll go in my last resort bag.”  
Bart watched as Marko scooped up his bag and opened his portal and stepped into it as if it had stairs. It was comical, really. But he couldn’t help but wonder what set his friend off. He knew him well enough to know it wasn’t over a softcore drug like MJ. Either he would get caught up on what’s happening in his friend’s life, or he’d find out himself. It was upsetting, as the teens knew each other for so long. Bart would’ve figured his precious Ko would just spill. Thee speedster would just have to respect Marko’s privacy.

Marko made it to his room and immediately scrounged for his drugs. The visible ones on his shelf were all gone, and Jaime was smart enough to check between the mattress. Marko grieved at the measures his father took based on one day! Yes, okay, it happened before, so why was that time the breaking point and not the first? That probably had something to do with Mar’eyna intervening at some point.   
His last string of faith was in his closet. He had many, many bags of all different varieties. There was no way Jaime checked them all. Marko praised God for allowing him to be blessed enough to buy a bunch of bags, and then repented shortly afterwards in exchange for enhanced luck in finding some drugs in the bags.   
A green duffle bag was chock-full of what he had stolen a few nights ago. Marko celebrated internally as his hopes were raised for the other bags.  
In total, he had maybe three and a half pounds of cocaine, too much marijuana to even bother counting, two pill bottles of opioids, a tiny glass bottle of liquid, and another unrecognized substance in a tupperware; it was something in chunks, probably had to be grinded up. He finally found a few scattered patches of LSD. It was enough for about a month or so, but he hoped that in a week he’d be okay and over his grieving stages.   
Marko took a needle from the bottom of his sock drawer and chose to find out what the glass clad substance was. He wasn’t very used to injecting things, he was more of an inhalant type of guy. From his memory, he decided that it would be best to grab a belt. He tied it tightly right above his elbow’s fossa. He sat on the floor near his bed that wasn’t facing the door. You could still see his head from the tips of his ears and up. He put on his glasses on to see how much he was putting into the needle. He filled it up to the highest volume due to him having a much higher drug tolerance than a normal, fully human homozoid. Marko was turned off by the needle’s sharp tip, and couldn’t even watch as he stabbed himself deeply. He bit down on the stray piece of belt as he pressed the syringe until every drop was out. Ugh God, it was so foreign. He was thinking about what he had just done. Usually before the drugs kick in, Marko has a few minutes of recollection. Right now, he hated being in his own mind, thinking about how much of a disgrace he was. Injecting drugs always made him feel more shameful than when he was smoking. Now he couldn’t help but ponder about if or when his parents found him, needle in arm, belt around him while he sat on the floor with his legs spread out...this sight would probably give them heart attacks. So, with the rest of his deteriorating strength, he got up and locked his door. He snatched out the needle and hid it under his blanket. He started to feel woozy and for some reason, he sat back on the floor instead of getting tucked into bed.   
As the long minutes passed, Marko got an absolutely euphoric sensation in his arms and legs and lower abdomen. It felt like the first thing he got as a warning that he was close to orgasming. Marko was relaxed, more than he had ever been since the incident. Oh God, he needed this. His eyelids got heavy and his vision got glossy and his lips curled into a subtle smile. He rubbed his legs as they got tired. He felt so airy. This was the best high he had ever had; there was not a combination of drugs that could amount to the way that liquid made him feel. He didn’t even know the name.   
Time felt like it was going so, so slow. Marko was rocking noticeably. His regular breathing turned into light pants, temperature rising by the second. Instead of sweating profusely like coke made him do, he only had a sheen glistening to his skin, like he was glowing. His smile got bigger and he ran his fingers through his hair. The full effect was even more amazing than the build up, which was fascinating in its own way. Marko removed his top, becoming a tad overheated. He wished he could feel this way forever. He already started thinking on where to get more. Hopefully his description would be enough to figure out what he had taken. The young man started moaning quietly, holding himself back from more escaping. He started swearing from the pent up feeling he was trying to ignore. He coughed a few times in a row, he figured it was unrelated though. He sank his back lower to where now he was invisible from the door’s view. His noises became louder and more frequent. In his head, there was nothing, literally nothing besides the acknowledgement that he was most likely being heard and it sounded like he was pleasuring himself. Marko laughed at the thought. He ghosted his hand over his bare chest as he reached for his cell phone. He had numerous messages from several different people. He couldn’t make out what anything read. Marko rubbed the front of his neck and he had gotten a sweet little ounce of enjoyment from it. He did it over, this time, holding it. He bit his lip. He couldn’t neglect his hormones anymore, or the rising dilemma in his lap. Marko didn’t have the energy to satisfy himself, his arms were weightless and he knew he would burn out. He stood up swiftly and it felt like his brain was spinning around in his skull. His eyes had zero focus and he stumbled over himself into the loveseat. He sat still for a good five seconds just to recalibrate his body. Marko put the same shirt on and a pullover windbreaker before he headed outside of his room. He remembered that he had a stiff one and went back in and teleported away,   
Marko placed himself in a sketchy place that he knew well enough. It was still the middle of the day, so not many people were around, besides the typical worker on his way back to work after lunch. He put the hood of his windbreaker and headed down a few blocks. He felt himself still smiling like an idiot, but it faded when he realized he was out in public with the hardest hard-on a teenager could have. He kept walking like the humiliation was never there. And lucky for him, he was where he wanted to be, and there she was where he knew she would be.


	4. That One Girl

Marko gripped her thick, light blonde hair. It was the same texture and colour as his own, but much better taken care of. He smelled the wafting scent of vanilla and coconut shampoo she used as her head sprung up and down his dick. His eyes were watery with pleasure and he was twitching and folding and unfolding his legs like he was a sensitive virgin. He caressed her beautiful hair as a reward for her good work. Her tongue was swirling around his shaft as the rest of her mouth enveloped around the whole thing. Marko couldn’t seem to catch his breath, whenever he was about to inhale, she engulfed him with the eagerness of a child trying to get to the center of a Tootsie pop. He was impressed by his self-control; any other time, with the way this girl was going at it, he’d be finished. He didn’t have a cumming sensation, it felt more like he had to pee and he was holding it in. The resistance of any type of release turned him on even more. He gripped the black, silky sheets like his life depended on it.   
Her rich chocolate eyes made his look like mud in comparison. She was stunning, smart, gorgeous, and Marko was in love for the day. She was always in the same place around this time, skipping school for lunch since she was too particular about what she consumed. The first time he had met her, she tried flirting her way into a Wawa order. Marko saw right through her, only because he used to do the same thing in the future when he felt like spending his money on more important things: drugs.   
She always insisted on going to her house, and by the time they usually finished, she decided to skip out on the rest of the school day. When that happened, they’d share a blunt and then Marko would treat her to whatever she wanted because she was so deserving. They had been rendezvousing for a month now, but had only became intimate a week ago. She was splendid, and Marko may have had a smidge of a crush on her. He wanted her working mouth and rocking body all to himself. He wondered how she felt.   
The younger girl locked eyes with the vulnerable boy who couldn’t hold back anymore. His warm load went straight down her throat as he held her head in place as he emptied his sack. He took control of her by the hair and fucked her face with what energy he had left. Her cheeks were flushed cutely as she whimpered around his softening dick. Marko was regaining composure when she redid her twin tails, redoing them whenever they were too noticeably uneven. Marko just wanted to hold her.   
“Can you come here?” Marko whined. He had his arms out like a baby wanting to be picked up. The girl smiled as her eyes rolled playfully.   
“Okay you spoiled brat.” She went back to her bed and laid next to him. Marko kissed her full lips, tinted with a pretty coral. He was beyond content with where he was and what he was doing. He sank deeper into their kiss and his hands started roaming. He went up her white button down uniform shirt and caressed her sides. She returned the touching by running her hand over his chest while the other was placed on his shoulder. Her touch, as vanilla as it was, made Marko’s dick harden up all over again. She put her tongue into his mouth and his heart skipped a beat. He decided to slide his finger between her hip and the waist of her short green skirt. Marko felt her smile while they kissed, and was encouraged to travel deeper after she moved her hand down his abdomen. He was able to get a decent handful of her butt. She didn’t have shorts on underneath, which was helpful in terms of the current event, but not when she was standing outside during her lunch in the sketchy neighborhood she dwelled in. She was nowhere near ugly enough to not have to worry about these things, Marko thought. He debated on whether he should say something about it or not.   
“I think that’s enough foreplay.” She said as her lips still grazed his. She unbuttoned her shirt with haste and Marko just watched as more and more skin was revealed. Her bra was a light purple with a mesh part that covered her cleavage. He simply admired her in her essence. She then unzipped her skirt and slid it off. Her nude, bland underwear didn’t match her bra, but that was okay with him because they wouldn’t be on for long anyway.   
The pair began making out rigorously as they tore off anything left that was still on their person. Marko took her pigtails out and let her long, glimmering hair fall over her breast and shoulders. Some got into Marko’s mouth while he took a breather from the kissing.   
She straddled him and teased his cock by rubbing it along her wet slit. Marko jolted from the sensation. He fondled with her ass as she continued. Marko was getting tired of the teasing, and took control of her hips and slowly sliding her down, keeping eye contact to watch her reaction. She pushed her hair behind her shoulders and licked her lips, which edged Marko to shove her right down onto his dick, already slickened up by her juices.   
Marko may have underestimated the amount of pleasure he could possibly get from just insertion. He wanted to take a second to adjust and calm down, but she had other plans and started riding him. He started moaning and whining like a bitch. She was doing the same, but not as loudly as he was. Marko knew he wasn’t going to last anything more than a few more minutes. Her breasts were making circles as she continued to fuck him. Marko was disappointed, but knew it was for the best when she got off of his cock. But then she slammed herself back down on it with professional precision. Marko’s eyes got watery as the pleasure became unbearable and he wanted to cum. There was a rising tingling in his back that he knew all too well.   
The blonde leaned forward to kiss her overstimulated lover to soothe him. His eyes were tightly shut and he was drawing sweat. The new angle gave a little bit of relief to Marko who exhaled joyously. He enjoyed the steadier pace and how her entire weight wasn’t jumping on and off of him. If his lap could talk, it would thank her. The feeling in his back dissolved into waves that went into his legs and crotch.   
“Oh crap.” Marko said to himself as the pleasure doubled as she started her shenanigans all over again. Marko bit his lip so hard trying to hold back his vocals, and ended up drawing a drop of blood. He winced and had no choice but to let out his noises. His arms were limp, too limp to reach out and touch her. His whole body tensed up and he started kicking his legs out and curling his toes. His fingers twisted into the black sheets and pulled them from where they were tucked in the corners of the bed. His body finally relaxed.   
“Do you like that?”  
Marko thrusted up into her as he began to cum for the second time. His breathing evened out after a few seconds. What a bitch, pulling those stunts on poor lil’ ol’ him. Marko looked at her scornfully and crossed his arms.   
“I actually hate you.”  
“That is very unfortunate, man. For you, I mean.” the girl replied. She got off of his softening member and started redressing. “I hate that you finished so quick, but you don’t hear me complaining.”  
Marko’s face turned red and his ears burned. He didn’t have a witty response so he wallowed in his embarrassment. She was kind enough to give him a big kiss and tell him that he did his best. He saw right through her sarcastic tone. He pushed her face away before she could give him a more sincere smooch. He got up and put his clothes on, not facing her. She hugged him from behind and kissed his cheek. Marko’s moral was temporarily under repair. He sat with his arms crossed like a--may I say--spoiled brat. He didn’t want to be bothered after that. It wasn’t his fault that she could ride him like he was a mechanical bull, that had nothing to do with him and his premature ejaculation. Maybe if she wanted him to last, she would’ve let him have control. Oh, oh, okay wait. Perhaps, and he uses perhaps very lightly, it was the drug he injected that affected his ability to perform. Or, perhaps, he was actually a terrible lover. No, he pleased her sufficiently before. But now, it didn’t matter.   
He left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this was a shorter chapter because the next bit of plot can't be dissolved into it with a time skip. May I remind whoever is reading Marko's Lament, mind the archive warnings because things are about to get as disgusting and fucking stressing as I can make it. 
> 
> And the girl is never introduced with a name because Marko doesn't like to think about it.


	5. Chapter 5

Marko knocked on the door of Laurie’s hospital room. He hadn’t seen her since the incident. He had some yellow flowers mixed with what he could only identify as lilies. He didn’t get a response, so he went in cautiously.   
Laurie had tubes all over her, coming from her arms and her mouth. Marko was weakened by the sight. His hands felt like they weren’t there. He stepped in and leaned over her bed to see if her eyes were opened.   
They were, and they were staring out at him, as if she was ready for him to do exactly what he did. Marko gasped. The whites of her eyes contrasted too well with her dark skin, and it made her look scary.   
Laurie’s arm moved up to her face to weakly shoo Marko away from her. He was hurt, but understood. He wondered if she could speak, or even walk for that matter. He had learned that she had gotten it the worst out of all of them, in terms of injuries. He left the flowers on the windowsill and pulled a chair to the side of her bed. He saw that her eyes were now closed. Marko would’ve panicked if her breathing wasn’t so obvious. She even had the nerve to start snoring. Typical. It reminded him of their trip to Texas without everyone else because they were whiny about the weather. She fell asleep and snored like she was choking in her dreams for the whole four hour flight. They weren’t sitting in the same row, but Marko could hear her from the opposite side of the plane where he was at. People near him were drawing conclusions that the plane was malfunctioning and they were about to crash. And when she woke up, she refused to believe she was snoring.   
Marko held her nose to see if she would quiet down. It did the opposite.  
“I don’t know if you’re really asleep or just ignoring me, but I just wanted to come and visit before I go to Marco’s funeral. Javi’s won’t be for another week because his family doesn’t have the money yet to bury him the way they want. His body is still here in this hospital. Do you think they’d let me see him? It would be the last time since he can’t have an open casket.” Marko got that familiar feeling of emptiness, “I came because I needed to tell you I was sorry. I’m sorry for letting this happen to all of you. I should’ve never ran away. I wish I was in your place, Laurie. We’ve been through so much together, this wasn’t what I wanted for you. You’re here suffering, away from all your family who didn’t give enough of a fuck to come and see you.” Marko noted as he realized there were no flowers or balloons or cards besides the measly bouquet he had brought her. It made his blood simmer. “I promise I’ll take care of you when you get out of here. I will do anything for you, you’re all I have left. Delilah and Tiara had their services the day after, but I couldn’t bring myself to attend. I didn’t want to have to choose between them. Their famiies were being fucking retarded and decided to have them at the same time. I was so engulfed in grief, that I couldn’t even think. I wanted to come see you so much sooner, but it’s taken me awhile to get to this point where I can get up and go outside without having to use a pick me up. I didn’t want you to see me on anything.   
My mom picked out the flowers, you know, we don’t have flowers where I was from. I didn’t know the difference between a weed and a chrismantium, or whatever it’s called. But I knew that you like yellow, although I don’t remember why. “  
Marko didn’t feel so alone anymore. He felt the presence of something behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, and the only thing he saw was a petal falling off a yellow flower he didn’t know how to say.   
“To be honest, I don’t know how I’m going to live on after everyone is buried. You’re my only reason that I’m still here Laurie. So I need you to make it through this, for the both of us. Please.” Marko grabbed her hand gently and put it on his cheek. She was so, so cold. Alive, but cold. He pulled her blanket over her legs. Her snoring persisted after a brief moment of silence in the room.  
“I promise you that I will be back later. I have to go. Marco’s thing is about to start and I’ll have to take the train. It would be rude to just telep....” Marko caught himself before he was able to compromise his meta-human nature. “I’ll be back for you. And hopefully you’ll be awake. I just want to hear your voice, I miss it more than anything else right now.” Marko tugged at his black tie, needing an outlet for his distress. He shut his eyes as tightly as he could to hold back the stinging tears. He laid his head in her lap and let it all out. Better now than in front of people he didn’t know well enough. “I’m so fucking sorry Laurie, I’m so sorry! This was my fault! I can’t live with myself, I’m broken. I can’t live with myself, I can’t…” Marko’s head started spinning. “I’m not going to be able to see you anymore Laurie, I can’t live on, I love you, but I’m tired…” Marko stood up. “I’m not coming back Laurie, I’m sorry.” Marko’s head pounded. There was too much going on. His throat hurt. Laurie’s snoring was followed by the ticking of the clock, which was followed by the beeping of her machines, followed by a throb of his head. It created a chaotic, overwhelming melody. Marko went into the bathroom, ready to throw up if he had to. To his surprise, the recognizable gurgle in his stomach faded. He was hunched over the sink, his mouth leaking with his drool, the kind he gets when he eats an unwashed apple, but even that sensation is followed by some spit up. He looked at himself in the mirror. The flattering lighting of the bathroom made him look spectacular, despite him knowing full and well what he looked like. His face was a shade paler from when he first arrived. His hair was still in place in it’s little bun.   
Oh woe was he.   
He left out of the hospital knowing he may return under different circumstances. He walked and walked to get himself lost on the cruel planet called Earth. Why do all the good people in the world get punished while those who are truly evil run and remain unharmed. How can someone sleep at night after doing something so dastardly and flout it? Marko wasn’t even a criminal and felt so much guilt and anger brewing in his veins. There are just some people on this world who don’t deserve happiness and there are people who deserve it and don’t have any. Marko felt like he didn’t deserve happiness, or anything for that matter. He should’ve never stayed so long in this time, and he felt he should have never altered with the past. He should’ve let Bart go by himself. He had the ability to fix the time machine but he decided to be selfish and be with his mother and bask in her light that was so dim in his time. He hated himself. He couldn’t look at his reflection in the passing windows. He had forgotten about the funeral, he was focused on other things, like his next high or how he was going to go. 

Marko had roamed until it was dark. The temperature had dropped significantly as the wind picked up. No one was around; not one homeless veteran asking for change, or car, or groups of hipsters travelling to their next bar. Marko felt truly detached from the world. He felt the emotional disconnection in the tips of his fingers. Images of Laurie flashed through his mind, all of her smile. He missed her already, but he was going to see her again.  
The moon was absent from the starry sky. Marko hadn’t looked up from his feet to see the alluring view above. He stopped his tread once he got to a small bridge that arched over a glistening creek. He rested his head on his arms for a moment, tired from his journey. His eyes fought to stay open, and his legs battled his weight to keep standing. He wanted to be in his comfortable bed, tucked in by his mother as she sang him Rainbow Connection with her harmonious voice before offering him a warm mug of boiled Nesquik vanilla milk with two jumbo marshmallows--three, if he had come back from a long and dangerous mission. He wanted his dad to ruffle his hair before he left out of his room and shut off the light, followed by his mother.   
It hadn’t been a whole day, and yet he yearned for them. Maybe they missed him too and were wide awake, worried sick. Or maybe they were relieved that they didn’t have a crackhead in their home spewing vomit everywhere and never cleaning his room, eating all their food. Marko wanted to go home. He was chilly and hungry and his suit was getting chafey. He needed their support right now more than anything. With all the evil thoughts stirring in his head, he needed someone to get him out of his mind. Not drugs or alcohol but an actual human being.   
But they wouldn’t want him. Marko hoisted himself up onto the bridge and laid flat on his back. He finally saw the gorgeous medley of those specks of light in the sky. He wished he could’ve been closer, so he reached up weakly and tried aimlessly to grab just one.   
He took his hair from its bun so his head could be flat on the cold, mossy stone. As tired as he was, he didn’t plan on sleeping there. He only wanted time to think. But thinking proved to be a chore, and Marko became frustrated with himself and let his tears come, despite it only being one angry stinging drop. He felt so unwanted and unloved. His parents should’ve been blowing up his phone if they cared enough. 

Marko treaded the long way home, only to not have his key. He was too tired to teleport inside. The sun was coming up as the door swung open after he rang the doorbell. He was just so content to see his mother standing there with her periwinkle robe. She embraced her future son tightly and it was returned. It felt like they were in each other’s arms for hours, and Marko didn’t mind one bit. He needed her more than anything right now, yet she still wasn’t enough.   
Mar’eyna had made him something light to nibble on so he wouldn’t go to sleep hungry. It was a simple grilled cheese and canned tomato soup with an extra pinch of sugar. Marko tore it up as if he hadn’t eaten in days. Mar’eyna made him another sandwich as he finished off the soup.   
“Why didn’t you call me?” Marko spoke for the first time this morning.   
Mar’eyna flipped the sandwich over in the shallow pan, greased with a hefty helping of butter.   
“I didn’t want to interrupt the service.”  
“It didn’t last all day. You could’ve just texted me too if that’s the case.” Marko’s stomach gurgled from his swift eating. “I really wanted to hear your and dad’s voice and tell me everything was going to be alright and that I have your support but I didn’t even get a text. After I’ve been gone for almost twenty four hours? What were you so occupied with?”  
“Marko, you’ve been gone for longer a million other times. This is what happens when you make us worry so much: we stop raising our blood pressure so high over your whereabouts. If you were in real danger, I would know. You needed time to mourn and that’s what I decided to give you. Why didn’t you come straight home if you needed us so badly?”  
He squinted his eyes at her and pursed his lips. Maybe he was in the wrong this one time. He couldn’t blame them. But she could’ve left a message once it got late if anything.   
Marko fixed his face as another sandwich was placed in front of him. It was a little more done than the first one. His fingers got greasy from the copious amount of butter. Was she trying to kill him? Gosh.   
“Touche mommy.” Marko said as he dabbed his sandwich with a napkin.   
“You know I love you more than anything. I am like, your biggest confider. No, your biggest confidant. I haven’t been in school for like three years.”  
“Thanks.” he showed his mom his teeth in a genuine grin. She did the same. Was know the right time to tell her that he spent all day thinking about killing himself? No. She just looked so happy that he was fed and was home.


End file.
